The Only One
by WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION
Summary: Their time on Isla Nublar is over, but is their time together over? Owen and Claire are sticking together for survival along with many other familiar faces in this story. OwenxClaire and a few other pairs as well.
1. Chapter 1: Mother

Chapter 2: Mother

The sun had risen earlier than many had anticipated, with the roosters' cuckooing waking up everyone in the hotel. Owen moaned in tiredness, not wanting to get out of his bed just yet, but Claire had a complete contrast to his behaviour, immediately waking up at the slightest glimpse of light that penetrated through her eyes. She got out of her bed, putting on flats, which reminded her the comforting feel that her heels didn't offer her at the park, especially after outrunning a T-rex in them. Nevertheless, she put on a grey tank top along with a loose grey skirt and went to the bathroom to comb her hair.

It had been one week since the battle of Isla Nublar and it wouldn't take much for it to constantly haunt Claire whenever she tried to sleep. Nevertheless, she brushed her teeth and went back to her room to check her phone for any messages. She heard a voicemail from her older sister Karen.

"Hey Claire, how's it going? I hope things are working out for you and Owen. Now I just want you to know that Zach and Gray along with every one of us thank you with all of our hearts for taking responsibility for your actions and doing what was right for the everyone's safety. Mom would've been very proud. Dad is doing fine too, and he's very stable right now. Come and visit us when you're out of the hotel alright? Love you."

A tear fell from Claire's eye, reminding her of a very dark moment in her life. Two years before she started working in Jurassic world her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and after a seven month battle, she succumbed to her conditions and passed away. That was another thing that traumatized her, forcing her to do everything she could in order to succeed in her life. Immediately as the thought came in, she had a flashback to that sad night. Karen was just about to graduate university and Claire was still looking for a business that would suit her in her life.

 _The two sisters were in the waiting room of a very intensive caring hospital in Chicago. Claire was clutching to her sister, hoping that they would expect good news whilst their father was waiting in the room. All of a sudden, a nurse came out of the door, causing the two to look at her with worriedness. "Claire, Karen, your mother wants to see you. She has something to say." At that moment, Claire dashed into the room with Karen following her. As they entered in, they saw their father looking down at the bed that their mother was in. Claire looked down with tears ready to pour from her eyes. "Claire, Karen?" she coughed. "Yes mom?" replied Karen, holding her mother's hand with tears in her eyes as well. "I just want you to know, that nothing was more important to me in my life than my two beautiful daughters. From the minute you two were born, I could see a future brighter than anything I could imagine, and I knew you would persevere for the greatest things you could accomplish in your lives. I… love…. you." She closed her eyes as life left her with a sigh. "Mom? No. No no no." Claire sobbed as she clutched to her sister who was also sobbing. Soon enough, the floodgates opened and they both started crying simultaneously in each other's embrace, knowing they would never see their mother again._

The flashback ended as another tear fell from Claire's eye. Ever since that day, she strived for success, looking over those she loved and making sure that she could find her place in the world. Soon enough, she thought working in a theme park full of dinosaurs that once shut down, but then reopened would be a great idea and for the time it was. But she would once again find herself in a predicament knowing that instead of spending time with her two nephews, she would only think about her business and success, which led to her park's downfall and destruction. But was it all really over?

After a couple of moments of sentimentality she got up and went to Owen's room to wake him up. She knocked onto his door. "Who is it?" Claire decided that she'd joke around with him and answered, "It's Blue!" Owen opened the door, looking unamused. "Really? That's like… completely unoriginal." Claire stared blankly, wondering why he couldn't take a joke. "I'm going to go downstairs for breakfast. Oh and put on deodorant too." She left, leaving him to smell his armpits in confusion.

Claire arrived in the front lobby, walking to the buffet for food. She had found a table for her and Owen and decided to save it, hoping she could spend some time with him.

But she was completely unaware that two men were looking for her. As she was texting Owen to tell him to come down, she looked up at one of them saying, "Excuse me. Would you happen to be Claire Dearing?" It was Alan Grant, and Ian Malcolm.


	2. Chapter 2: Old Tales

Chapter 3: Old Tales

"Excuse me?" asked Claire, completely confused as to who these men were. "My name is Dr. Alan Grant and this is Dr. Ian Malcolm and we were a part of John Hammond's endorsement team to the original Jurassic park." A bell suddenly rang in Claire's head.

"Wait. You two? The original investors of Jurassic park? The two that were supposed to endorse John Hammond's dream creation?" The two men nodded in response, causing Claire to stare at them blankly. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you. I had read your books and heard about your experiences on the island but I never had the idea that I'd actually see you in person. It's nice to meet you." She shook their hands courteously as she offered them a seat at her table and went to get food for them.

"I wonder what we've missed in these last 14 years," whispered Ian. "Only one way to find out," replied Alan, anticipating a really big story from Claire from her experiences in Jurassic world.

Soon she came back with poached eggs along with chicken bacon and tea for everyone to have as she sat back down to chat with her newly found guests. "So tell me, how was the old park? Did you find it 'wowsome' or 'screamsome'?"

"It was one big pile o-" Ian was about to blurt out an answer before Alan abruptly interrupted him, "A little bit of both perhaps you could say. For one, it was something that could bring the whole world to visit, but at the same time it would also scare away people from that island forever, especially after a massive breakout of dinosaurs."

Claire, interested in his story asked, "Did you find yourself in any dangerous situations?"

Alan laughed at her question, as he knew danger more than any other person that had travelled with him. "Of course I did, multiple times. Like, I'm so used to protecting myself from danger that I may even have these instincts when I'm not in the slightest bit in trouble. I mean, after having a T-rex literally breathe down on you and narrowly escape, how could you ever lose your survival instincts? Or blocking a velociraptor that knows how to open a door!"

Ian decided he'd add on to Alan's statement, "That's chaos theory right there." Alan then asked, "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a young gentlemen by the name of Owen Grady with you right?"

Suddenly Claire heard Owen calling her, "Claire! Claire where are you?"

"Over here!" she waved, getting his attention. He came in and saw the other two men with her. "Oh. Looks like you've found some friends huh?"

"Excuse me? Do you have any idea who these gentlemen are?" Owen shook his head, not understanding her statement?

"They were investors to the original park. Dr. Grant and Dr. Malcolm, the latter being the author of the book on Lowery's table in the control room."

All of a sudden, the name Dr. Grant rung inside Owen's head, causing a flashback to about twenty two years ago.

Two paleontologists by the names of Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler were in the Hell Creek formation in southeastern Montana, digging up dinosaur fossils along with many others including students and volunteers. Owen was among those people, searching for fossils of his favourite dinosaur, velociraptor. At one point he remembered seeing a young kid stating that a raptor was just a "six foot turkey." Later, he heard Dr. Grant reply, "And he slashes at you with this... a six-inch retractable claw, like a razor, on the middle toe. He doesn't bother to bite your jugular like a lion, say... no. He slashes at you here... or here... or maybe across the belly, spilling your intestines. The point is... you are alive when they start to eat you. So you know... try to show a little respect." He was terrified just as much as the kid that learned to treat the raptor with respect, thus leading him to raising four raptors and building a relationship, based on mutual respect.

His flashback came to an end as he suddenly realized the man before him. "Dr. Grant. It's you."

Alan was a bit confused as to who Owen was though, as he couldn't recall those events. "Uhh what's going on exactly?"

"The dig site in Montana, 1993. You scared that kid with the raptor claw, telling him to treat them with respect. That's what lead me to my profession today. You're like, the reason I did my job at Jurassic World," Owen went and shook hands with Alan and Ian, introducing himself.

The old paleontologist chuckled along with his friend, and asked the young man, "Well what profession do you have that relates to these animals?"

"I built a relationship with them." Owen's answer suddenly stopped Alan and Ian from laughing as the mathematician asked, "Wait. What did you say?"

"I actually had a relationship with four velociraptors. Man and beast, cooperating with one another."

The two men were shocked beyond belief until Claire added, "It's true. He contro- I mean actually had a bond with them."

Alan could not believe what he was hearing. Ever since his colleague Billy Brennan found the resonating chamber of those creatures, he thought he could not go any further in terms of discovery, until now. "My god. This is unbelievable. The folks are going to be blown away with this. Mr. Grady, I would greatly appreciate you coming to a lecture I'm holding discussing these animals. Your knowledge of these creatures and your ability to communicate with them will spark a great reaction."

Owen thought for a moment, and then answered, "Well, if it'll get me out of this hotel and get a great audience then absolutely."

"I thank you for your assistance and I will make a contribution to your presence with this cheque. Oh and bring this fine young lady with you too. Maybe she can add on to these awesome narratives." Claire smiled at Alan's comment as he added, "The lecture is in two days and I can get us a flight to Montana, where I can get you guys some room for temporary residence and spots at a really big party that Ian's holding for my birthday."

Owen then nodded, agreeing to Alan's statement as he shook the paleontologist's hand.

Soon the two men left the scene, leaving Owen and Claire to themselves. "I'm going back to my room. Gotta prepare a speech for those crazy youngsters," said Owen.

"Well, hope you have fun with that. I'll see you at the beach whenever you're ready." Claire walked off to the beach to relax and get her stress off, but there was one emotion that kept on bugging her, however she couldn't identify what it was. She hoped that she could get it off her chest once she sat down and tanned herself in the sunlight.


	3. Chapter 3: Antique

Chapter 4: Antique

Two more days had passed as Claire and Owen got ready to leave their hotel along with the other park workers. Owen had made himself a speech that would blow the minds of all those attending the lecture including those that had explored both Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna.

The two were waiting in the lobby for the shuttle bus that would take them to the airport and to Alan's house in Montana where they would temporarily take refuge in. Claire stood at the front door whilst her companion decided to get some souvenirs from a convenient store inside the hotel. When he arrived, she was just nearly about to hit herself in pity. He had bought a toy velociraptor that resembled blue, obviously referring to the closed park. She sighed, finding his behaviour childish.

"What? Good memories." he stated, causing Claire to nod with a smirk on her face. She then realized that the bus was here. "You wanna stay here forever? Let's go!" she advised playfully. They put their stuff in the side of the bus and took their seats afterwards.

On the way there, Claire couldn't help but gaze at the beautiful scenery of the island. That was until a more tense thought came to her mind. Sitting beside Owen, a man who had saved her from multiple dangers during their time in the park along with that one instance where she tranquilized a dimorphodon, saving his life, brought many thoughts to her mind that she could just not get her head around. The tension was suddenly broken with Owen tapping her shoulder. "We're here! Let's go."

After packing up and waiting for their flight, they found Alan and Ian at the gate, waving at them to get their attention.

"I can't thank you enough for your service Mr. Grady," thanked Alan.

"No problem, and call me Owen. No need to be formal with me" he chuckled.

Soon the four had got onto the plane and waited about 5 hours before reaching their destination. Afterwards, they made their way to a taxi in the airport, and the driver was another familiar face. "Eric? Is that you?" asked a surprised Alan, not recognizing the man before his eyes. "Long time no see. You've really grown."

"Yep. I had quite the growth spurt."

"How are your parents by the way?"

"They're good. We've actually gotten ourselves a business for computer engineering and my father is the head of their management. So we've kind of pulled ourselves out of the gutter you could say."

Alan smiled but then remembered to introduce his new found friends. "Eric umm, I'd like you to meet a few, guests of ours. Owen Grady Claire Dearing. They're coming to the lecture with us to share some, interesting topics."

"Wait. Owen Grady the raptor trainer at Jurassic World?!" asked Eric. "Yeah. How'd you know?" replied Owen.

"My girlfriend Vivian told me. She worked at the park as well." That statement stunned Owen and Claire, realizing they had found another tie with someone who had been involved in Jurassic World.

"Why do I uh get a feeling we're going to see many familiar faces very soon?" asserted Ian.

"Oh, Eric why don't you tell our fellow guests about your time on Isla Sorna. Let's see what they think," suggested Alan as they were about to drive back

"Wait, there's another island full of dinosaurs?" asked a surprised Owen.

"Yup about 90 miles southwest of Isla Nublar. No fences and no security. Just nature and its reality. I went parasailing with a friend of my family's despite the fact that it was prohibited. Yeah I know. But nevertheless we got stranded on the island after losing our boat's crewmen and of course, we were attacked. Several times in fact. I had lost him after we got split up from a t-rex and I never saw him again until I learned that he was killed. The killers though were never known. Either way, I had survived for eight weeks by myself and the only thing I had as a weapon were my survival skills and knowledge."

The story sounded like a complete lie until Alan stated, "It's true."

"Wait. What if you were surrounded by dinosaurs? What would you have done?" questioned Claire.

"I had gas grenades as a method of driving animals away along with a hideout to stay in, keeping me safe from all the dangers the island threw at me. But my ultimate method of defense, was t-rex pee. It would scare away most other dinosaurs but it would also attract the attention of a territorial spinosaurus," answered Eric.

"T-rex pee? How'd you get it?" asked Owen.

"You don't wanna know," replied Eric with the same answer he gave Alan almost fourteen years ago.

After a few more minutes of driving they had arrived at Alan's house. They entered and noticed the level of antique this place had, quite literally and figuratively. He had lived here ever since he moved to Montana after graduating university with a degree in paleontology and throughout his house were a bunch of fossils that he had discovered in his dig site. From raptors claws to t-rex teeth to brachiosaurus vertebrae, he had quite the collection.

"Woah. Talk about prehistory," joked Owen. "Hey," Claire huffed sternly, finding his statement rude.

Alan chuckled though, showing no signs of being insulted. "You can definitely say that again." He took out a tyrannosaurus skull, his most prized possession. "I found this skull in the dig site that I worked in." To this day, I've kept it here as a means of reminding me of a very great point in my life, but after the park, it means a bigger deal to me. Seeing one of those things literally four feet away from you literally brings out the picture. And that roar. I'm telling you I've heard some pretty crazy things in this world but nothing can compare to that."

Claire smiled, ready to tell him her story. "What if I told you that I was chased by that t-rex while high heels and escaped?"

A surprised expression fell onto Alan's face. "You what?!"

"She did. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen," stated Owen.

Alan came back to his senses after trying to comprehend this seemingly nonsensical tale. "Alright then, get yourselves prepared. We'd like to hear something authentic tonight. There are two rooms upstairs. Help yourselves while I and Ian have some coffee."

The two got upstairs into the rooms to change into proper outfits for the lecture. But when Claire closed the door, a familiar feeling rushed to her head, the same that she felt on the bus. "What's happening? This, feeling. What's going on? I can't… get it out of my head," she thought to herself as several images from the past kept appearing and reappearing. She could not help but feel that something terrible lied in the future, but at the same time, something comforting. Something she would need. The only thing she would need.

Downstairs Alan and Ian were just about to have their drinks until they heard knocking on the door. "Oh could you get that Ian?" asked Alan. When Ian unlocked the door, another old friend was standing outside. It was Ellie Sattler.


	4. Chapter 4: Solace

Chapter 5: Solace

"Ellie what a surprise!" exclaimed Alan. She smiled, knowing he was not expecting her. "Hello Alan, how's everything been?"

"Pretty Good. I've actually managed to find two of Jurassic World's staff members."

"Is one of them a raptor trainer?"

"You guessed it." Ellie smiled at his answer, knowing he had done something good for the two, especially after hearing about the disaster that occured on the island.

"I have some news for you. Pretty relieving news as well."

"What's that?"

"The lecture has been cancelled." Alan stared at her, surprised about what she said.

"Wait why?" he asked.

"Too many students could not attend. Many were going on trips with their families for vacation. One of the organizers told me to let you know. So, nothing to be worried about."

Alan sighed, both in relief and in disappointment, although the latter feeling was not the overwhelming thought. "Well in that case, come in. Let's get to know these fellow guests of ours." His companion entered. She instantly got reminded of how antique the place was with all of the collections that he had for himself. And the smell of the place also contributed to that factor. It was not unpleasant, but it certainly showed just how aged the place was.

"Been a long time since I've been here," she stated. Alan smiled but suddenly reminded himself to tell the others that there were a change of plans.

Ian came back from the kitchen and noticed Ellie, almost dropping his coffee at the sight of her. "Oh Ellie what a surprise!"

"Hi Ian!"

Alan suddenly interrupted, "Oh Ian, I've got some news for you. The uh, lecture has been cancelled."

"Well that makes things different then doesn't it?" replied the mathematician.

Meanwhile upstairs, Claire was about to take off her clothes in order to prepare herself for the cancelled lecture but once again she fell victim to the overwhelming thoughts that never got out of her mind. She still could not get her head around one thing that kept reappearing in her mind. A feeling. But not just any feeling. After pestering her for a very long time, she had finally realized the meaning of these thoughts that blended into one single emotion. Love. Love for someone she knew was meant to be her soul mate but she could never tell him after all the hell she drove them through. The overwhelming emotion was too much for her to handle though and she could feel the tears beginning to fall again. Not wanting anyone to hear her, she moved out to the balcony of the house overlooking the beautiful city line, hoping she could cry in peace.

Owen had taken out his suit case to change his clothes to a more proper outfit for the event that was to not going to happen. He put on a black shirt along with dark jeans and black socks, a common look he found to suit him best in these situations. He finished with his trusty old watch that always gave him an idea of his priorities. He then went to comb his hair which took less than a minute due to the short length. Afterwards, he made his way downstairs to see Alan and Ian.

"Okay I'm ready. What's next?" he asked as he made his way into the living room.

"Oh Owen. I'd like you to meet another friend of mine. This is Ellie Sattler. A paleo botanist who knows dinosaur health better than anyone I know." Alan introduced his friend who shook Owen's hand. "Hello nice meet you," she greeted, "So I heard you were the raptor trainer at the new park."

"Oh yeah. Very fun business. Especially after seeing that kid get terrified by Alan a long time ago in Montana, learning to show respect for these animals, which really was the root of my relationship with them," Owen answered enthusiastically.

Ellie was stunned, not realizing that Owen was in that group of people that saw the little kid get scared. "So you're telling me that you were at the dig site with those groups of students?" she asked.

"Yeah. But I think we may be late for our little upcoming event so should I get Claire and finish getting ready," responded Owen quickly.

"Oh um, I hate to kill the mood here, but the lecture has been cancelled Owen," stated Alan.

Owen sighed heavily, both in disappointment and in relief, "Well I guess I won't be able to share my experiences and facts, but at least I won't need to worry about anything then. So what now?"

"Maybe you should go tell Claire about these changes of plans," suggested Alan.

Owen nodded and went upstairs to let her know. Meanwhile Ian finished his tea and wondered, "So we see another familiar face appear out of nowhere. What's next my ex-girlfriend's gonna show up?"

The raptor trainer made his way to Claire's room and knocked. "Hey Claire! The lecture's actually been cancelled, no need to change!" But there was no response. He knocked again, "Are you sleeping in there? You can come out now."

He still didn't get any responses, making him open the door to check. "Claire?" When he looked in the room, she wasn't there. "What the hell?" Not seeing any signs of her, he decided to go back downstairs and let the others know.

Suddenly, a sound caught his attention. It was very quiet, but he could hear it. It was a sound of sadness that anyone could not help but listen to in grief and in confusion. It was the sound of crying, and it did not take much to get Owen's attention. He followed the sound until it lead to the balcony of the room.

Opening the door, he could feel the nice breeze of the night flowing into his nose and then his lungs, but that calmness was ultimately shattered when he saw Claire on the ground in a sitting foetal position, weeping heavily. She was completely unaware of his presence until he placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch at the touch, and then calm down at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, not even bothering to face him.

"I think it's time you explain to me what's going on," whispered Owen.

"Why should I?"

Owen then moved beside Claire and placed an arm around her, giving her extra warmth. She sighed at his touch, feeling better but still not ready to talk. After a couple of minutes of silence, he finally asked her, "What's going on Claire?"

"It's just… something that I've had going on in my mind ever since the park, the Indominus, the battle, and the incident in general," she uttered, "Ever since all those complaints we had to contend to a few days after the shutdown, it has been corrupting my mind. Those families were so angry and it just tore my heart to hear all of them shouting about their relatives' deaths and Zara's fiancé threatening me about a lawsuit he would arrange. It was just too much to bear. Never mind the fact that we barely escaped the jaws of a monster and lost many innocent creatures as well including your raptors. I just don't know what to do."

She pulled Owen into a hug and cried into his shirt. All he could do was just hold her in grief knowing he could do nothing else. "Claire?" he asked

"Yeah?" she sniffled.

"Is there something else that's been going on in your mind that you want to tell me?"

She hesitated at first, thinking it wouldn't do her any good. But she knew had to let it all out and then she suddenly reached out to him.

"A long time ago, about two years before Jurassic world was opened and I got a job, my mother had passed away from lung cancer. A part of me died as well knowing it would never return to me. So as I found the opportunity to work at the park I did my best and eventually rose to the position that I retained for a long time. From the minute my mom died I kept facing every day as if it was just daily business and I became distant from my family that way. That is why I refused to be with Zach and Gray when they came to visit. I just wanted the success for myself and completely disregarded every one of my colleagues, friends, and loved ones."

Owen could feel the tears about to fall from his own eyes as he suddenly remembered a life-scarring incident of his own.

"Claire. You're not the only one. When I was twelve, my sister Jane had died in a car accident when she was biking with my mom. She got too far ahead and didn't look both ways. In the blink of an eye, she was gone. That is why my motorcycle is a very delicate item of mine which is why I am so protective of it and even then it can't always get out of my head just how easy it would've been for my mom to have stopped Jane from losing her life. But I found hope in the form of someone who I find to be very special, sweet, and beautiful too."

"Who?" Claire sobbed.

"You Claire Dearing. From the moment I came to the park and started working with you and even that disastrous first date, I've had these feelings for you but I could never express them properly. At least not until now. I love you."

Claire looked at him blankly with more tears welling up in her eyes, trying to comprehend what he said which caused Owen to lower his head in shame. Suddenly out of nowhere she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him and pulled him into a kiss that seemed to never end. They just wanted to just let their emotions and love out onto each other, clearly having no better way other than this.

Gasping for air, they let go, breathing heavily. She then broke the silence, "I love you too. I've wanted to tell you that, but I never had the courage. But I think now it seems to have found me again." She placed her hand on his face and started caressing it while he did the same to her. Staring into each other's eyes was something they could do for hours. Tears were about to fall from Claire's eyes again, only these were tears of relief and happiness. Owen wiped them away, giving her even more hope than she could ever imagine.

"You're the only one Claire. The only one I could ever love in life. The right person for me and for all the right reasons," stated Owen as he stroked her red hair.

"When did you become so different?" she asked.

"I told you. When I met you."

She smiled. He smiled. Then they both kissed once more, trying to let each other know that this was a new beginning for them and that there was a future to live through.

Lost in their pleasantness with each other they were completely unaware of the other three looking at them from the room. "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," commented Ellie.

"Yeah 'aww how cute' that's how it always starts. But then later there's yelling and fighting," added Ian.

"Why do you have to say things like that?" asked Ellie, finding his comment rude.

"You can talk to Sarah for an answer," replied Ian, crossing his arms.

Meanwhile Owen decided it was time for them to go to bed but not before letting Claire know something he had to tell her before this chat. "Oh and one more thing. The lecture's been cancelled."

After many sighs of relief the pair got into the bed with both of them in each other's embrace. "Owen?" asked Claire while she caressed his chest.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for always being there when I needed you."

"You're welcome Ms. Dearing."

She chuckled as the two kissed once more before falling asleep as warmth and love consumed the two into the long night of hope and happiness. It was a new start for this pair and it would not take long before they would be known as a couple to the world.


	5. Chapter 5: Second Date

Chapter 6: Second Date

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know I really haven't done this for the story but I felt I'd address something. I apologize for the delays between chapters. I've been working a lot to gain community hours and getting to the story can be a challenge. But with work almost getting out of my way I will be able to put chapters up a lot more frequently. Plus this chapter is a little bit of an interesting one, especially the ending. Thanks for being patient. It means a lot.**

Owen and Claire had resided in Alan's home for a while after they moved to Montana and ever since they had found themselves jobs. What they did may not have been like their last professions, but it did help them get back to their own lives. Claire managed a local grocery store whilst Owen had found himself a more favourable job. He was a zookeeper at ZooMontana and he mostly inspected the tiger enclosure, but nothing could bring back the feel of inspecting the enclosure of one of nature's most successful creations.

They had also managed to get themselves an apartment two blocks south of Alan's house and decided that they'd live there until they could afford better housing. For the most part, it was very good in terms of quality, at least much better than all the other options they had for themselves. Occasionally they may have found faults whether it would be awful odours in the place or technical difficulties with the sink or bathrooms, but at least it didn't interfere with them a lot.

November had hit Montana and it was not light. Snow fell everywhere, covering up all the streets of Billings. It was however, a perfect time to visit the streets once night hit them. The snow was a beautiful decoration to the scenery of the area and it certainly was a change to the humid weather of the Caribbean islands. Top it off with the beautiful night sky and the view was intoxicating.

It was also the time for a second shot. This time, making sure it was done right.

It was the 12th and the lights illuminated the beautiful scenery of the streets. Claire and Owen were to meet in the lobby after they had gotten changed. The red haired woman had put on a black sweater dress with square studs around the collar with dark tight jeans, a dark gray scarf and long black leather boots. Finally she put on her black trench coat and gloves to finish her gorgeous outfit. She looked in the mirror one last time and put on her black eyeshadow as the finishing touch to her look. She couldn't help but notice how long her hair had gotten ever since the day they moved to Montana. It had grown roughly past her shoulders, making her think that this hairstyle definitely suited her more.

She then decided to head down to the lobby. While the elevator was coming up she thought to herself, would he do it properly this time. Would he get it right? The weather was too extreme for him to wear board shorts and act all funky like the first time. "Just give him a chance. He will get it right," she thought to herself just before the elevator arrived. As she got in, one more thought came to her mind. "Do not hesitate the tequila. It won't kill you. Do it. For him."

She arrived in the lobby and what she saw just dazzled her. Owen was wearing a black fur coat with jeans and gloves of the same colour along with a grey sweater and dark navy ankle boots. Not to mention that he shaved and almost completely removed his facial hair, adding to the "hot" factor.

"You look amazing," she commented.

"You look beautiful," he replied, causing her to smile and peck him on the cheek.

"May I have this walk Ms. Dearing?" he asked, offering his hand.

"Why of course Mr. Grady," she answered playfully.

The two set out to find a grill and bar restaurant on the streets, enjoying every second of being with each other. Looking around they saw more people walking through the crowded roads, showing how lively the place was. It was simply the best place they had been together in their lives but also the coldest as their outfits still could not protect them entirely from the low temperatures, occasionally causing them to shiver, but it had little interference with their happiness. After a few more minutes of walking Claire looked over to her left and saw the restaurant they were looking for. "It's that way Owen," she pointed.

They made their way across the road and entered the building, suddenly warming up as the air conditioning relieved them of the insane temperatures they faced.

Nonetheless they got themselves a table by the window and got seated. They could not help but notice all the snow that they could see from the window, just adding to the perfection of the night they were experiencing.

Owen then broke the silence between them, "Hey uh… did I tell you how gorgeous you look?"

"Ah stop it," giggled Claire in response.

"No seriously. I just can't help but admire the very sight of you."

She could feel tears welling up in her eyes just from hearing that nice comment.

The waitress came up to the two and asked for their order. They then decided that they'd get themselves steak cuisines with tequila for drinks. Claire was reluctant about the idea once again, but that idea quickly subsided and she continued to converse with her boyfriend.

"Well now. This is quite the location we chose," she commented.

"I don't know if I even want to leave here," he replied back. "But do you really want tequila? I'm not obligating you?"

"Hey it's fine. Besides it's not like we're at work or anything. Well, if you know what I mean."

"I get it T-rex momma."

"Come on, I had like no choice whatsoever. She was the only option left."

After a few more minutes of talking, they finally got their foods. The steaks were placed with vegetables including broccoli and potatoes along with ketchup with their fries. An enticing meal that anyone would crave. After having a taste of the food they could not help but just continue to eat until they filled themselves up to the brim.

Claire then decided that it was the moment of truth. She took a small sip of tequila from her glass and her reaction was completely different from what Owen had in mind. She marvelled at the taste of the drink and wondered if she could get more.

"I told you you'd like it," Owen stated, making Claire smile once again.

"Yeah. Sometimes I really need to get a more various diet."

"I knew this date would go really well."

"What don't you know?" Claire teased, making Owen blush slightly.

After finishing their dishes they ordered cheesecakes for their deserts and those too were incredibly delicious. Soon they paid the bill and started to head back to the hotel. Once again they could feel the beautiful winter breeze hit them as they were walking through the streets which were starting to quiet down seeing how late it was. "I wonder how long it'll take for that tequila to really start kicking in," wondered Claire.

Nevertheless they arrived back at the hotel and their excitement was off the chain. The dinner was only the first part to their "date." The real fun was about to begin.

The two got back into their apartment, took off all their clothes except for their underwear along with Claire's bra, and went on the bed with each other. Wasting no time, they started the highlight of the night.

They locked lips together, wrestling their tongues in each other's mouths, trying to gain dominance over the other. They continued kissing one another until Owen nuzzled into Claire's neck and breathed in her intoxicating scent, kissing her from there. She loved the feel of his lips in that area, turning her on with little effort. To add on to the pleasure, Owen took little love bites. It was obvious he was trying to give her a hickey. Deciding to be playful, she pinned Owen down whilst holding him at the same time and being kissed in the neck. She then submitted to him turning himself over, now pinning her down. He dug his face into her chest, trying to get lost in the feel of her body.

She chuckled, finding his touch tickling. Suddenly, she felt a sensation that made her laugh out loud. Owen used his strong fingers to tickle her even harder. "Stop it hahahahaha!" she continued to laugh with no way of escaping the fun.

"I would but I can't resist hearing your cute laugh!" he replied.

He then stopped after a few more seconds, allowing her to catch her breath again. Owen laid right beside her so they could stare into each other's eyes. She could see the world she always wanted right beside her and so could he. They both were not able to believe that they found the person that would allow them to persevere with all the love they always wanted.

"Owen. Thanks for making this date the best I had ever had," said Claire.

"Oh don't worry about it. I would not be able to do it without your presence," replied Owen, once again making Claire almost shed a tear.

They then pulled each other close, kissing once more before wrapping the covers around themselves, sleeping in each other's embrace peacefully and quietly.

"I love you," whispered Claire.

"I love you too," replied Owen before they dozed off into the night blissfully.


	6. Chapter 6: Instincts

Chapter 7: Instincts

 **WARNING: EMOTIONAL CHAPTER! STRONG LANGUAGE PRESENT ALONG WITH FEELS!**

More months had passed ever since the pair resided in Montana and it was now June 13, a whole year ever since the were going strong with their new jobs and started to save on some money so they could get better housing, not that they were in any hurry considering they had a nice apartment for themselves at the moment.

Owen had returned from another day at the zoo, the highlight being ambushed by the wolves when trying to feed them, but he was well prepared to deal with such actions. Nevertheless, he needed to rest when he got back and be with the one that gave him things to believe in. He opened the door and saw Claire sleeping on the couch. He kissed her forehead and saw her smile at the action which caused him to do the same. " _She's so cute when she sleeps,"_ he thought.

But that happy thought was only a small wave in the sea of misfortune in Owen's head. He knew today marked a day in both their lives. A day that changed their lives forever. What they thought would be their jobs for the remainder of their time on Earth just vanished like ice in hot tea, forcing them to find refuge if it were not for Alan's assistance. But even then living here was a sudden change for them. And unfourtunately, as much as he loved her, it had come to him that his relationship with her would never work. He noticed that Claire had acted a whole lot differently as his girlfriend. She seemed to push him around too much and used her emotions as a means of getting what she wanted around him. Aside from all that, he felt like he was not meant to be with her and that this was the farthest they could ever go together. He also needed to get back to Missouri after disappearing from his family and friends for so long. But no, he couldn't. They had been through so much together in the year such as traveling to Grand Teton National Park every now and then. It seemed at this point, he really did not have much of an option. He needed to leave and get back home. But how could he tell her? He cared for her too much to just leave her, but he knew the same would be for her because she had to go back to Chicago.

" _Trust your instincts Owen. It will be fine_. _She must understand too,"_ the thoughts kept appearing in his mind with no way of getting out. He decided that it was time. He would tell her. Though every step he took to get to Claire only caused his guts to wrench up due to the inevitable sadness that would be brought upon Claire.

He went and saw Claire in the kitchen, cooking up chicken for the two to eat. She heard Owen coming around and turned around. "Hey. How was your day?" she asked.

"Good. Very good. Nearly got attacked by a wolf. But raptors really saved my life. Well, not literally but you get the gist of it," he replied, not looking at her entirely.

She noticed the rather depressed look in Owen's eyes and immediately asked, "Hey. Is everything okay?" There was no answer as Owen walked towards the balcony overlooking the illuminated night. Getting worried she asked again, "Owen, are you alright? You know you can tell me anything."

With the pressure building up in him, he knew it was now or never. He decided to tell her. "Claire. There's something you should know."

"What's that?"

"I have to go."

Claire got confused. What did he mean?

"Go where?"

"I have to go back to Missouri."

"What do you mean?" At this point Claire started to have anxiety in her eyes and he easily noticed it.

"I'm saying that I have to leave. I don't think I will ever see you again."

"How come? Can't I just… you know?"

"Come with me?" Owen turned around, not bothering to face her, trying to show her that he was really being serious with this.

"I don't get what you're saying," Claire fretted.

"Claire. Don't you see? We're not meant to be together," Stated Owen, still not facing her.

"Wait. Are you trying to break up with me?" she asked with tears welling up in her eyes.

"What do you think?" he suddenly turned around startling her.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she sobbed, hoping he'd stop his actions but it was futile.

"Why do you mistreat me so much? All you've been doing these past couple of months is push me around and try to get what you want. But I'm not buying that crap anymore. I'm getting out of here because quite frankly if I stay any longer, I think I'm going to die from either bankruptcy or insanity. And to think I loved you and thought I would stay with you? You are nothing but a selfish woman!"

She gasped at the comment and then retaliated, "Oh yeah, well you're nothing but a beardy asshole who tries to control me all the time like I'm some kind of pet instead of your girlfriend!"

"Controlling you? Controlling you?! Jesus Christ! Don't make me laugh!" yelled Owen trying to prove how much of a hypocrite Claire was being.

"Making you laugh?! You're one to talk! I mean, your so called 'manliness' can prove that. Tell me, by what stretch of the imagination can you even begin to call yourself a man?!" Claire screamed only for Owen to nearly hit her. He then lowered his hand and aborted the hit.

"Go on! Hit me! Show me how much you love me!" she mocked him.

"No! Forget it! You're not even worth the trouble it would take to hit you! You're just an empty, soulless bitch! And let me tell you one more thing! I wish you were eaten by that nightmare one year ago today. That way, I would have avoided seeing you again and even thinking of being your boyfriend! I really wish to God that you had!" he then walked to his room and started to pack up and then leave.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled, demanding an answer.

"Leaving this shithole! That's what I'm doing. Oh I meant you just in case you were wondering. This place is far too beautiful for me to even dream of insulting.

"Good! I never want to see your face again! In fact I wish I never saw a single particle of you!" Claire yelled whilst following Owen to the door who did nothing but listen to all the jibber jabber out of her mouth.

He turned around and did nothing but flip her off and whispered, "Fuck you," before he slammed the door in front of her face.

Claire felt the sobs rush up to her throat and choke her up. She then went to her room and broke down heavily, clutching to her bed as if it was a part of her own body. Her phone then started ringing which caught her attention. It was her Karen! Wasting no time she picked it up and tried to hide her sadness so that she wouldn't get another one of her lectures by her sister.

"Hello? Claire are you there?" she asked

"Yep. I'm always here sis."

"Hi, how's everything going?"

"Fine. Me and Owen were just talking about stuff and we were thinking of moving back to Chicago after another year or so."

"Well that's good. The kids really miss you and they're hoping to see you soon."

"Yeah I hope to see you soon too," she barely hid a sniffle.

"Well, if you can, come quicker because we have something very special for you. But we're not going to tell what it is. It's a surprise. So I guess I'll see you later then.

"Yeah. Yeah I guess I'll see you later as well. Bye," Claire hung up and then stood there, completely paralyzed about the lie that she told. Why didn't she just tell the truth? What could've possibly forced her into lying like that? Maybe, just maybe, there was still a part of her that loved him no matter what. But it was too late now.

Meanwhile Owen walked about eight blocks up North to the hill that lead to Alan's house. He thought that maybe talking to the old man would cool his mind down. He approached the door and knocked, and soon enough Alan answered.

"Owen hi. What brings you here?" he asked.

"I need to talk to you," sighed the already irritated man.

They both sat down on the couches in the living room whilst getting some tea before they began their conversation.


	7. Chapter 7: Reconciliation

Chapter 8: Reconciliation

"Owen, you must understand that couples will go through these arguments regularly. It's only part of a healthy relationship. There's no shame in it."

The younger man sighed, trying to comprehend the older man's words. "It's just. I feel like nothing went right as the months passed by. We started having these quarrels since March and it just never seem to have ended. Claire wanted a lot from me and I did what I could to make her happy but she never did her part, at least not when I was around her."

Alan then pointed out his last words, "There you go. You just never spent enough time with her."

Owen then thought, " _Maybe he's telling the truth. I really didn't spend too much time with her. If I did, I would not have wanted to go back home so quickly. I just went on one small date and vacation and that was it. It's like, when I was with her I really didn't take it seriously. Every day I work and then I just watch the news and football games or write in my journal. Maybe I just didn't' want to feel alone and then that's what lead me to treating her the way I shouldn't have had. Wasn't I the one who thought we should stay together? Whatever happened to such a good philosophy? Maybe she was acting the way she was only for us to be together because… she loves me that much and I never noticed that. I simply mistook it for being stupid and selfish. I have to do something."_

He then looked back and stated, "You're right. What did I ever do to make her so upset? I wanted to be with her, and yet I never truly showed her that."

"It's not too late to let her know Owen. She needs you as much as you need her."

Amidst the night Claire was sleeping on her bed, avoiding a serious breakdown, but that small victory would be short lived. The nightmares had returned.

 _She was in jungle full of dangerous creatures and all she could do was remain silent. To add on to her predicament, it was completely dark, and the only thing she could use was a flashlight. It was flickering though, signaling the battery running low. She stumbled upon what appeared to be a large rock, hoping to rest before she trekked on. Suddenly, the rock rumbled as if it was growling. Much to her horror, it was! She realized that it was the Indominus Rex and scurried behind a large tree. She could feel the breathing of the giant monster behind her, ready to snatch her up at any second. "Well well, what do I have here?" the creature actually spoke, causing the shivers up her spine to nearly paralyze her._

" _You're what they call a human being right? A nice small creature so appetizingly delicious, but not satisfying enough compared to all those other creatures that are out there. Oh the fun I'll have when I get my teeth on them hehehehehe. But for now, I must find the appetizer. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you oh no. I'm going to kill you."_

 _The horror was unreal as she held her breath in order not to alert the beast of her presence. "Those magnificent bastards thought they could contain me. And yet they create a creature that far exceeds all their expectations. It's like they never even knew what they were doing to themselves. But I must let you know something, Claire."_

 _At this point, she was ready to book it and get out of here, but she tried to avoid the creature's coaxing, still trying to forget that it even said her name._

" _It's a beautiful world out there. So lush and breathtaking, but doesn't an ecosystem need a perfect balance of nature? Well I must thank you for providing them that form of balance. ME! Hahahahaha!"_

 _Claire was getting more and more terrified by the second as the Indominus kept talking more before it lowered its head right beside the tree she was hiding behind._

" _But the most fun part is just playing around with my food, tenderizing the meat before I kill them ever so slowly. I bet you think I don't know where you are right now. Well if you thought that guess what? Think again!"_

 _The monster grabbed the woman in its hand and pulled her up close, watching her squirm in fear._

" _Hahahaha! Did you really think I had no idea where you were?! I would've eaten you quicker but that would ruin the fun of horrifying you. But now that you're completely helpless, I guess wouldn't hurt to keep you waiting a bit more. So tell me? What do you care about in life?"_

 _Claire just kept squirming, trying to get the monster to release her but to no avail. "You poor thing. I think you want to return to your loved ones and remind them how much you really love them. Here's a secret though. They don't love you. None of them ever wanted you in their life because if they did, you wouldn't be out here now would you?! Lost, forgotten, and scared. That's what you're going to be after I've murdered you. Everyone and everything that you care about is going to disappear and there's nothing you can do to get them back. So save yourself the trouble and succumb to the imminent fears that will haunt you forever! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Indominus then shoved the woman into its mouth._

Claire woke up with a big scream, realizing that it was just a dream again before she broke down into tears. As she was crying she did not realize that a man walked into the room until she felt a warm hand touch her back. She flinched but then sighed in relief when she saw him again. "What are you doing here?" she sobbed, not understanding why he didn't leave after what they just went through.

"Well I couldn't just leave you here, you know that too Claire," he assured, sitting down on the bed beside her.

"Look. I know what I did wasn't right and after talking to Alan about it, he finally told me what was wrong with our relationship," he placed his hand on her shoulder, calming her down further.

"What was it?" she asked looking at his face for an answer.

"We didn't spend enough time together. And when we were together, we were never really in the moment with each other. Had we made more time with one another and actually cherished it, I would not have wanted to leave this place and I sure as hell do not want to do it now because I understand it more clearly now. It's just… something came over me that really screwed up. Maybe after coming back from work all I did was just do my own stuff instead of making some time to be with you and that's something a healthy relationship does not need." He then pulled her into a big embrace.

"I'm really sorry Claire," he then gave her a small kiss on her forehead whilst wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, reminding her how much he truly loved her.

"Me too. I was just trying to get us to be together more often but I admit that some of my requests were a bit too demanding for you. I honestly don't understand what I was thinking and that may have led to all this unnecessary fighting. I just hope you know that I still love you too and that I'd take a bullet for you," she then wrapped her arms around his neck and then held him tight.

He smiled, knowing that he would never let her go for but also knowing that even if these instances did occur that there was no reason to be ashamed of them as it was human for them to even have disagreements in the first place.

"Let's make sure we keep these situations at a minimum. It mustn't happen frequently if at all. Promise?" Claire held out her pinky finger and waited for Owen's response.

"I promise on my life," he then wrapped his own pinky around hers, assuring his promise would be kept before they locked lips and made out again, which was a fitting end to this night.

Meanwhile about 120 miles off the coast of Costa Rica, a familiar face had found someone for herself, a green mate that would provide for her as much as she would provide for him. He was sleeping whilst she looked up at the night sky, remembering her true father, hoping he was living how he always wanted. Little did she know that he really was.


	8. Chapter 8: Farewell

Chapter 9: Farewell

The months went on as Claire and Owen got accustomed to their apartment, but after countless discussions, they had decided that they'd move back to Claire's hometown in Chicago; December 1 being the exact date.

Owen called his family to let them know of the idea. To his surprise, they were okay with the decision, which also relieved Claire, letting her know that she really wasn't taking him away from them. After all, their love for one another grew ever so greatly throughout the year. Claire's birthday was coming up soon, being only three days after the day they would get back. Soon, the end of November was upon them and much to their surprise, it wasn't as snowy as last year.

They were to get on the plane in three days, so they cherished the last moments of the beautiful Montana scenery around them. They also decided that they'd also go to Alan's house and thank him for his assistance.

They arrived at the front door knocking, and then they got an unexpected answerer.

"Mrs. Harding?" asked a stunned Claire."

"Wait. You look familiar," the old woman responded.

"That's because you were my biology teacher in my senior high school year! I'm Claire remember?"

"Well well, this is quite a surprise indeed," chuckled Sarah before bringing the two inside. Owen tried to hide his blank expression since he had no clue what was going on. He seemed fine on the outside, but inside it was like his brain was bouncing all over the place.

"So you know Alan too?" asked a curious Owen.

"Well not Alan necessarily but I am the wife of Ian Malcolm, one of his best friends. And if you're wondering, I too was on Isla Sorna for a while and had a fair share of near death experiences. I mean, having two trailers fall over you while you're hanging off the edge of a cliff would be staring death in the face, but I just managed to look away. Or what about a T-rex breathing down on you, ready to swallow you whole. Lucky for me, I got some payback in the form of tranquilizing that beast."

Claire suddenly interrupted, "Well I guess I'm not the only T-rex mama in town."

"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Sarah, not understanding the younger woman.

"Basically, a hybrid monster of a dinosaur is ready to make you its meal, but Claire Dearing here has a solution," Owen decided that he would give the answer.

"Grab a flare, call out the saviour, and then hope it notices the monster before eating you up. Oh and let's not forget she did this… in HIGH HEELS!"

Sarah could not comprehend the last part of his sentence, wondering if anything that he just said was true. "There's no way in life or in death that anything like that could ever happen."

"Well what if I told you, my feet were aching for about a whole day afterwards. Because I did the unthinkable," Claire added.

"I'll say one thing. You've certainly got the minerals," stated Sarah, "Impressive right?" commented Owen.

"Hey! You had help remember! I drove across the damn city evading that monster whilst you were being a momma keeping that baby under control." called Ian from the hall as he approached the three.

"Yeah you see, I would've put you in there somewhere but I don't think a person who keeps a pirate fox plushie in his bedroom would be taken very seriously," teased Sarah. The other pair snickered very faintly at the comment.

"Clayton didn't want it okay? So he gave to me! And don't think that you haven't done any ridiculous stuff before," replied an embarrassed Ian as he walked toward his wife.

"Shh, it's okay. You're always my number one no matter what goes on between us," she kissed her husband on the cheek, reassuring their true love for one another.

"Yeah okay. Either way how are you two doing?" Ian asked the pair.

"We're great! But we're actually moving back to Chicago in a couple of days, so we thought we'd give all our thanks to you and Mr. Grant for helping us out of our little predicament that we were in."

"Well it's the least we could do. I mean, life finds a way after all." His motto caused Sarah to shake her head, finding his theory to be very false even though she was proven wrong many times.

"Claire Owen!" called Alan approaching from the same hall. "How are you two doing?"

"Great, great." replied Owen as they shook hands.

"We've got something to tell you," added Claire.

"What's that?"

"I and Owen are actually heading back to Chicago in three days, so we thought we'd share one last moment with you before we depart."

"Oh well that's good. I hope you'll be able to find your way together there. But you sure aren't going to find these views in the city."

"Well, that's too bad," agreed Owen, "But Claire really misses her family and honestly, while I really like being in this beautiful state and sightseeing, I sometimes remind myself why I'm a city person."

"Well, I really can't blame that. Either way, you two will have quite the story to tell won't you?"

"I can tell you Dr. Grant my life is a fairy tale."

The old folks chuckled at the comment, finding it to be very true on their own experiences as well. They sat down and had tea along with Sarah's finest deserts before they all went their separate paths. It was certainly a sad farewell as the pair really got to know Alan and his companions very well throughout the course of the year. But they all knew that their paths would cross again someday.

"I bid you two a fond farewell. I'm glad I got the chance to know you two and assist in your time of need," Alan conceded, knowing he had really helped them to get back onto the path of redemption for themselves.

"We couldn't have made it without you," replied Owen before giving the older man a hug as he would always give a friend.

"Well then, you two best be getting ready to head out. Just be careful of all the snow storms."

"But don't you know it's the most wonderful time of the year?!" joked Claire playfully.

"I'll give you that one young lady, but when you experience a blackout, remember my words," chuckled Alan.

"Well I guess this is goodbye then. Oh and uh Happy Holidays to you all!" The pair gave one last hug to everyone before they headed off, waving in the distance.

"You think they're gonna marry one day honey?" asked a curious Sarah.

"Well, we'll just have to see." Answered a calm Ian, knowing the future that laid ahead for the young couple.

"Life will find a way."


	9. Chapter 9: Love Is Forever

Chapter 10: Love is Forever

The pair got their last glimpse of the Montana landscape before embarking on their journey East towards Chicago. They were going to miss the place, but they knew that they had to get back for a better future for themselves and everyone they loved. At 5:00 pm they boarded onto their flight and to their surprise, only ten other people were inside the small aircraft, which could only seat thirty passengers.

Nevertheless, it took about ten minutes from the time they boarded to them taking off.

"Hold onto your butts," joked Owen, causing Claire to chuckle. The comedic tension was suddenly broken by the beautiful sunset visible through the side window. It was sad to see those beautiful mountains for the last time in the past year which suddenly got covered up by the clouds as the aircraft kept ascending in the sky to the point where all that was visible was the red sunset sky.

Knowing the time it would take to get back, the pair decided to sleep, with both of them leaning on each other. It did not stop Claire from having another dream, although this one would be the quite the exception.

 _Claire had ran all the way to the abandoned helicopter pad, her hyperventilating overtaking her ability to process the situation. It then came to her, there was no escape. Suddenly, the wind had grown much stronger around her, becoming more visible every second. In an instant, an ominous cloud of mist had formed and what was inside it caused her to choke up. The Indominus Rex! Claire was about to scream before her imminent death but at the last second she noticed the figure was glowing, as if it was some kind of spirit. That thought was proven true in the end as the beast did not even bother eating her. Instead, it circled her._

" _Claire Dearing. It has most certainly been a long time since we saw one another. Now I know what you think I'm going to do to you. But there is something you really should know. Few things have been as brave as you. It was your courage that brought this area back into its proper balance and my riddance which would be the benefit to this land. I never wanted to kill. I was forced to because of all the sheer torture that took control over me. That rotten Hoskins killed my sister made me a monster and I never even knew what I was myself until I look now from above the clouds. Since then I've reunited with her and am free at last."_

" _But, you…" Claire stuttered before getting interrupted._

" _I know. I know. I was never raised in a happy world. Instead, I was merely something to be viewed for entertainment. But don't you see, thanks to you I no longer have to kill mindlessly because up here, everyone and everything is at peace. Including someone you know as well." The spirit summoned another one. This time the figure made Claire's eyes water up. It was her mother!_

" _Claire?! Sweetie?!" she called, causing Claire to run up to her and give her a hug while crying._

" _I missed you so much! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" sobbed the daughter._

" _Me too honey. You made me proud. I raised you to be a strong, independent woman and I got something much more than that," acknowledged the mother, "You've persevered throughout your life without my presence and found your way through any challenges thrown at you. For that, I'm sure that your future is bright and full of beautiful experiences."_

 _The Indominus Rex summoned a bunch of more spirits, although they were of those still present in Claire's life including friends, her brothers and sisters including Karen, her father and most importantly, Owen._

" _All these love you Claire. Without you, a part of their own lives would be lost and you have made them understand why you are someone important to them. So I ask you, please make sure you live your life to the fullest and surround yourself with those that that love you and never take them for granted. We all know you are here for a reason and we'd like to see that very reason happen," the Indominus Rex stated as she slowly started to fade away along with the other spirits one by one, signaling the end of the nightmares once and for all._

 _Owen's spirit walked up to Claire and what he said next almost stopped her heart from beating, "Claire Dearing, a woman that I've been so fortunate to meet and be with in my life, will you marry me?"_

 _The tears started flowing from her eyes as she pulled him in and gave him a kiss, but not just any kiss. A kiss that would be a promise to commit and love him for the rest of her life before the sun started to rise and envelop everything in its path._

The dream suddenly ended with the beeping of the seatbelt lights as Owen chuckled at her sudden wakeup.

"Hey sleepyhead, looks like you had quite the dream," he joked, not realizing that what he said was actually true.

Nonetheless, the plane was about to land in the illuminated city of Chicago. The aerial view was stunning to see as all the lights showed how live the area was and in only a few minutes later, they landed. It was pretty solid on the pilot's part and probably the best landing she ever had in her life. They got through the lines and found their luggage before they headed off toward a taxi. Claire gave the driver directions before he proceeded to take them back to her sister's house. She was excited to reunite with her sister but that thought was small compared to the thought of that beautiful dream she had on the plane, as if she wanted to tell everyone what happened.

In about thirty minutes they arrived and walked up to the front door, ringing the doorbell. In a couple of seconds, the door was opened by a cute familiar face.

"Aunt Claire?! Owen?!" exclaimed Gray, not believing his eyes.

"Yes sir. It's the raptor man," replied Owen, making Claire chuckle.

"Mom! Dad! Aunt Claire's here!" yelled an excited Gray, getting their attention. In a couple of seconds, Zach reached the door.

"Aunt Claire? Is that you?!" asked Zach, completely baffled.

"Zach. I don't even remember how tall you were last year but holy moly. You've grown." The older brother chuckled at the comment before giving his aunt a hug.

Afterwards, Karen and Scott with the older sister gasping in surprise.

"I don't even need to tell you," replied the younger woman before the two embraced after a year and a half. Scott too gave Claire a hug, surprised to see his sister-in-law again.

"This is beautiful. Like absolutely beautiful," commented Owen, causing the group to laugh before they all sat down for a dinner. For tonight's meal, they had Karen's special chicken souvlaki. The pair shared their experiences whilst they dined.

Afterwards, everyone went to bed and were fast asleep in no time and for the first time in a year, Claire could sleep without a spec of a nightmare thanks to the man she found for herself and her future. The world was smiling down on her and she knew now that anything could be a potential obstacle, but wherever there was a will, there was a way and that way was the man of her dreams Owen Grady. This indeed was an early Christmas Miracle not only for her, but everything she ever loved in this world, even if the only one that would ever make her go through life was him.

 _ **THE END!**_

 **Well guys, this is the end of our journey with this lovely pair, but keep in mind, there are many more stories ahead in the future and maybe, just maybe an even further love story between the two. Who knows, maybe they will get married one day? Either way, I'm going to start writing a** _ **Land Before Time**_ **story that I've had in mind for a while now but never really got to the main plot of it. Spoilers, there's an awesome battle in it involving two familiar dinosaurs. Who will they be? Find out when the first chapter arrives! Anyways, thanks for following this tale and I really hope you enjoyed reading it. Bye!**


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